The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-02-16
COUSIN AGAINST COUSIN.
The Different Way in Which James G.
Blaine and His Distinguished Cousin Treat
the Wage Question.

The Different Way in Which James G.
the Wage Question.
Let us call Gail Hamilton as wit
ness against her distinguished cousin,
James G. Blaine. She might be called
also as a witness against herself, but
it will suffice on this occasion to use
her testimony only against the states
man from Maine. In suggesting rem
edies for the unhappy condition of the
working-women Of the metropolis, it
has been found that the majority of the
people who have taken an interest in
the matter have inclined to the idea
that if the women would more gener-
ally seek domestic employment they
would be better off. Gail Ham.
ilton holds to this view. She
also has some other opinions on
this subject, as she does on
nearly every thing else. Never,
while the world lasts says she,
"can you expect to receive twelve dol
lars for work which twelve other
women are willing to do for six dollars.
If you were man, if you were a
millionaire, if you were a voter, it
would make no difference. You can
never force your employer to employ
you at twelve dollars if he can hire
some one else to do the same work for
six dollars. You have no right to ex-
pect him to do it. is not greed, or
extortion, or inhumanity in him not to
do it. It's extortion in you to ask him
to do it. If he should undertake it he
would fail in business and you would
be worse off than before, because you
would have no work at all. You would
then be one of the dozens waiting at
no price instead of the one employed
at low price. This law is absolute.
1t applies to the millionaire just as
strongly as to the sewing girl.
How different would Cousin James,
of Maine, talk to the half-starved sew
ing women of New York, to their SIS
tiers who exc out q miserable living in
factories and stores, and to the dissat-
isfed laborer generally. Cousin James
would say: .'Your wages are low be-
cause you are not protected enough.
You must keep the Democrats out of
power. Just look at the condition that
you are now in. 1t is the result of fear
on the part of your employers that the
Democrats will change the tariff laws.
They have unsettled confidence all over
the country. Do you observe the col
ored man in the Southp 1t is the inter-
ton of the Democrats to keep him in
ignorance SO that they can use him as a
cheap laborer. Where will you be when
the South begins manufacturing with
negro labor employed at one-half what
you earn? The way to regulate wages
is to elect Republicans to Office. Some
rascals will tell you that wages are MOI
affected by law. That is false. You
may think that you have hardships,
but you are mistaken. The trouble
with the American working-man is
that he is too well off. He is pro-
tected by the tariff, and all the
money that his employers get out Of
that beneficent scheme goes into his
| pockets, Supply and demand have
nothing to do with labor. Vote the
Republican ticket and wages will al.
ways be high. They are high now, il
you only think So.
For the last fifteen years Mr.. Blaine
and Gail Hamilton have been attempt
ing to convince the American people
that there is potency in law to raise
wages. They have made that theil
stock in trade. If they were to be be.
lieyed all that was necessary to make
labor contented was to pass law te
that effect. Supply and demand had
nothing to do with the question. By
giving employers monopoly privileges
the working-man was bound to be q
sharer in them whether dozen stooc
ready to take his place at half the
wages that he wanted or not. Gal
Hamilton's sudden conversion to com
mon sense and common honesty lead:
one to hope that the day may not b
far distant when her celebrated rela
tive will also abandon demagogy ant
surprise his fellow citizens by address
ing them in words of truth and sober
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